Signaling system.



A. & P. K. STERN.

E. L. STERN, ExEcuTNlx or P. K. sTENN. DEC'D.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION man APR.22. 1914.

Patentd June 29, 1915.

NNMNHN..

ALE-'MRT STERN, OF YONKERS, AND PHLIP K. STERN, DECEASED, LATE 0F NEN YRK,

l"-l'. Y., BY ELIZABETH L. STERN,

(DF NEVI YORK, N. Y., EXECUTRIX; SAID ELIZABETH` L. STERN ASSGNOR T0 SAID ALIBEHT STERN.

SXGNALING of the King or' Great Britain and a citizen States, and residents of the,

ot' the United city of Yonkers, in the county of l/lestchester, and ofthe city of New York, Vborough of Manhattan, in the county of New York, and both of the State of New York, the said ELIZABETH L. Sr'namiexecutrix of the estate of Pnniir K. STERN, deceased, late a citizen of the United States, and late a resident of the city of New York, borough of li/lanhattan, in the .city and State o'f New York, who did during his lifetime, jointly with said ALBERT STERN, inventa new and Improved Signaling System, do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. y

This invention relates to signaling systems, and has reference more particularly to signaling systems for vehicles. y

An object thereof. is to provide a signaling system which is inexpensive, simple, compact, strong, durable, and efficient, whereby the anticipated movements of the vehicle are annunciated by the party controlling the course of the vehicle, thus promoting the safety of the vehicle against accidental collision in traiiic, therefore making traliic safer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signaling system whereby illuminated or audible signals or both together can be actuated simultaneously with the indicator of the vehicles movements.

A still further object of the/invention is to provid a signaling system wherein electric energy is used for the operation of the system and wherein there is a ,closed circuit only when a signal is transmitted.

These objects are obtained by the diagrammatic representation of a .mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming` part or" this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate .correspending wherein-- y Figure l is a diagrammatic view of the signaling' system; Fig'.V 2 is an enlarged view oi the transmitting mechanism; and

parts in allthe views and Specification of Letters llatent.

atentedelune 29, ll.

Application-med April 2 2, i914. Serial No. 833,766.

Fig. 3 is an end View'oi the member carrying the signs. l

Referring to the'drawings, l represents the transmitting mechanism or controller,

which ispreferably located on the means for steering,f the vehicle, or in a place easily accessible therefrom; and 2 represents the annunciating apparatus adapted to be situated'in a conspicuous position on the front or rear of the vehicle orboth. The annunciator is provided with a permutable sign adapted to be actuated through the medium of the transmitting mechanism by an electric source 3, such, for example, as a secondary battery.

The transmitting lmechanism l, which is preferably cylindrical in shape, is provided in the axis thereof with a rotatably mounted axle c which bears in the ends A of the casing. Secured to said axle c Within the casing is a metallic disk 7; whichcarries a ratchet wheel a of insulating material. The teeth c of the ratchet wheel are provided with metallic tips 7"', preferably formed of a pin dri-ven into the base l). These metallic tips are adapted to Contact with a brush g whenV the axle is rotated in the direction shown by the arrow by means of the handle (Z provided on the axle c outside of the casing of the transmitter. The brush g is carried by a spring-pressed pawl 7L formed of insulating material and mounted to swing on a pivot if secured to one of the ends A of the casing' of the transmitter. The said brush f/ is preferably formed of a coil spring mounted on a stud j provided on the pawl 72, with one end 7c abutting against a pin j carried by the pawl 7L and forming a stop for the said end of the brush g. The other end g of ,the brush is free and is adapted to. contact with the tips f when the ratchet is rotated by means of the handle al. The pawl ft is maintained in its normal p0- sitionby a spring' e", one end i oi which bears against the pin j and the other end of which pivot The reason for forming the brush y of a coil spring is to prolong the contactv the end g of Athe brush with the is engaged in a slot provided in the the drawing shoW-' ing-the end of the casing removed to better bers bear the Words With an. arcuated Window a1,

-illustrate the details of construction of the device, the front n of the casing is provided shown in dotted line,y behind a disk p, forming the permutable sign. The said disk p is mounted to rotate on a shaft 0 Which is carried by the front and rear of the casing n. The disk p is provided Wi h a series of symmetrically disposed arcuated apertures P, each adaptedto register `With the arcuated Window translucentsign P is provided in each of said apertures P, which sign is preferably formed of Celluloid or any other similar and suitable material. One of said translucent members P is blank. The succeeding mem- Left, Right and 'Stop. The Word Lett is made of White letters on a green background; the Word- Right, of black letters on an orange background; and the Word Stop of White letters on a red background. The unlettered member is entirely White.

A ratchet Wheel C is carried axially by the disk p and has the same number of teeth thereon as the ratchet a in the controller, and twice the number ofteeth as'there are arcuated aperturesor signs carried by the disk p. Engaging the teeth of the ratchet C is a spring-pressed pawl s which is pivotally mounted on a'n arm r, which in turn is mounted to turn freely on the shaft 0. The back-lash of said ratchet C is checked by a spring-pressed pavvl N mounted on a pin N carried by the rear end of the casy mg a.

' Mounted in the casing'fn adjacent the disk the disk b, through the aXlec,

p lis an electro-magnet m, which is connected to a pitman 'w by a lug w forming preferably an integral part of the end of the pitman. rlhe other end of said pitman is provided With 'an adjustable, terminal lock-nut e, against Which thrusts one end of a compression spring a, the other end of said spring abutting against an extension Z1" forming an integral 'part of the rear of the casing n. The said extension b forms one bearing for the` pitman w, the other bearing being vtoi-med of a second eX- tension c from the rear of the casing n pro.- vided adjacent the armature fv. The said pitman is provided centrally with a slotted crosshead y, the slot t of which engages'a pin t carried by the arm a.

The current from the source 3, by Which the electromagnet m isk energized, passes through a part of the electric conduit l1 from u'hereit is branched oiby a conduit lli, through a switch l5 to the brush g, which brush is insulated-from the casing of lthe transmitter. n The current continues to flow from the brush g through the tips when the same are in contact with the brush, through which is intracting the armature .tween the 'strain on same forces the; pitman,`.

. sponding the armature o, of'

sulated from the casing l, conduit 20, to the electro-magnet, then through the ground and-back to the source 3. When the handle d of thetransmitter is rotated, the tips f, carried by the teeth e of the ratchet a, come successively in contact with the brush g, and thus the circuit is successively opened and closed. After each contact of a tip f with the brush g, the magnet fm, is energized, at-.

o, which will com? a!v and cause the arm r to move on the axis due to the engagement o vthe? pin t With the slott et the p'itman lw, thus bringing the pavvl s carried by the arm to the next tooth of he ratchet Wheel C carried by the'disk p. viirhcn the contact bebrush g and tips f isbroken, the the spring a is released, and the with the armature 'u to its normal position, causing the ratchet C and the' disk p to 'rotate through one tooth. Therefore, it Will be seen that a predetermined angular displacement. o theV handle Z Will produce an equivalent angular displacement of the 'disk p.

rEhe end A f the casing of the transmitter, Where the handle a? islocated, is indexed ad` jacent the periphery by characters correy to the Words Stop, Right, Left and the blank provided in the disk 95 79,' and the angular .distance between these characters is the same'as the angular distance between the Words Stop, l-ight, Lett and the blank in the disk p. Said characters are indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 by letters S, R, L and O. -To brin the sign Left in register with the Win ovv7 0, the handle d mustbe rotated to the point L ('see Figs. l and 2), that'is,'the circuit bet-Ween the source and the 'electro-magnet Willy be broken and established six times, thus compressing the spring a six times successively, which will rotate the disk through six teeth of the ratchet C, bringing the sign Left in register with the Window m. lf it is de- 110 sired to next bring the sign Stop in alinement with the Window the handle-d would be rotated from the point L to the point, S, thus, it-is necessary to make four more contacts, rotating the disk p through four teeth. 'it will be noted that the handle d rotates' always in the saine direction; and any ot the y signs may quickly and easily be brought into vregister 'with the Window bysimply placing the handle (Z in alinement with the corresponding inde); or character. The reason for first energizing the spring a, Whi ch then rotates the disk, is to reduce the hammering effect of the electro-magnet when the same is used directlyv as means for moving the disk 7). l in addition to the visual, legible annunciator involved in rotating-thehandle d, an audible alarm is provided. which can befp; sitioned in any suitable place and can u any desired torni. As showniu the dra\v-i;`;-\

press the spring magere ings, it is a horn, Which can be out in vby the i movement of the switch 15, so that-the c urrent from the source, instead of ovving throughqthe transmitter from the conduit 11, through the branch 1d, Will flow through the branch 17, through the horn 8, through the switch 15, etc. Therefore, when the annunciator is operated by the transmitter, the horn will be intermittently energized due to the make and break in the circuit.

To make the annunciator visible in the night, the same is provided in the casing n with an electric lamp 2l, Which is positioned behind the disk 79 soy as 'to throw light through the translucent member coming in register with the Window :v The disk 79 carries a stud d Which is adapted to come in contact with the resilient members y. Said members are so positioned Within the casing n that the stud al comes in contact With them when a corresponding lettered sign Aregisters with the Window The members gf' are connected to the conduit l1 by Vmeans of branch conduits 11, each provided With a switch la', shown closed in dotted position on each of said branches.

When the'disk pis in normal position, z' c., the unlettered blank P is in register with the Window ai, there is no necessity for the lamp 21 to be lighted; but when any of the lettered blanks P is brought into register -With the WindowY m,'the lamp 21 receives cur-V rent through the contact of the stud fl TVith any of the members g. The current from the source 3 coming to the member g, passes throughthe member g, through `the disk, through the shaft 0, from the shaft throughthe lamp 21 and then to the ground, .from the ground back to the source. Thus, the lamp 21 is energized Whenever the stud d contacts with any of the members g and, therefore, Whenever there is a letteredblank P in register with the Window w. It Will be noted that when energy is supplied to the electro-magnet, there is no supply of energy I' to the lamp unless the switches 7i are closed and the stud d contacts with the member g. When the stud d is in contact With any of the members g, the supply from the electro-magnet has been cut oil'. The switches it', which are provided on the branches 11 permit the cutting out of the light during -of the correspondingr branches.

the day service of the apparatus, and, thus, the energy 'for the operation ofthe system is used only when the same is operated.

In addition to the readable, colored signs, the system is provided with lamps 4, 5 and each connected to the corresponding branch 11', and where, by the closing of the switches L, the current from the source flows through the members g 'and is made to pass through the lamps positioned in each The lamp 4.

has the same color as the si gn provided with The lamp 6 provided l1 is simply intended as an indicator on the dashboard to show Whether or notthe systhe Word Stopf because the stud d will come in Contact with its corresponding member g when said sign is in register with the Windoiv Similarly, lamp 5 has the vcolor of the provided With the Word ,d'ight and lamp 7,' that oi thesign having the 'Word Leit The provision of these lamps, Which may be positioned in any suitable place on the vehicle, will further help to findicate'the anticipated movements of the vehicle. By means of the switches if, the indicator can be used With or Without said lamps, c., the same can be operated when the annunciator is operated, or the annunciator may be operated Without the lamps ll, 5 and 7 being operable. in one of the branches tem is operating.

Having thus described the invention, 'We

claim as new and ters Patent:

1. in a signaling system, an annunciator comprising a casing having an opening, a member'carrying diierently. colored si s mounted to rotate in said casing, means llidi' operating said member whereby the diferently colored signs can be brought in register With theopening in the casing, a lamp in said casing for illuminating the signs, a lamp for each of the colored signs colored similarly to the corresponding sign, a circuit for allot said lamps, andv means carried by said member carrying the signs for controlling the circuit, whereby when one vor" said colored signs is in register with the opening of the casing, the lamp in the casing and the lamp colored to correspond to the sign registering with the opening are illuminated.

2.' 'In a signaling system, an annunciator comprising a casing having an opening, a member carrying differently colored signs mounted to rotate in said casing, means for operating said member whereby any of the colored signs can be brought in register With the opening of the casing, a lamp in said casing, lamps colored similarly to the signs, contacting points in said casing, each in connection with a colored lamp, an electric circuit for all of said lamps, and a member carried by said sign-carrying member adapted to complete the circuit by engaging the Contact of a lamp colored similarly to the desire to secure by 'Letsign When the same `is in register with thethe colored `lamps ishaving a member mounted to rotate, said member adapted to carry signs of diilerent color, a ratchet associated With memvelectro-maglrietie arrangement associated 'with said slide whereby the same can be of two subScmbmg-.Wltnesses 4:v l y 1,144,873

ber, a pawl engaging said ratchet and prenaine to this specification in the presence venting the retracting movement thereof, an of two subscribing witnesses.

arm mounted to swing in the axis of the v v ALBERT STERN ratchet, .a spring-actuated pawl. carried by Witnesses, v said armand engaging said ratchet, a pin BENFISICT JOFFF 'onesaid arm, a slide having a slot engaging PHHT D ROLIZHAUS said pin, a sprlngtending to maintain said In t Y estunony whereof I have signed my Shde m a predetermmed posmon and an name to this speeication in the presence moved and whereby said arm is caused to ELIZABETH L. STERN,

swing, the return movement of said slide be- Eecutm' of the yestar/te' 0) Philip Kf Stem,

ing obtained by the spring, whereby the A deceased. ratehetiscaused to turn substantially as and Witnesses:

lfor the purpose set forth. R. H; TUBE,

In Atestimony whereof I have .signed my WiLLIAM A. GARRY. 

